[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1704-E1705]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

VALLEJO, CA, ANTIDRUG PROGRAM A SUCCESS

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HON. GEORGE MILLER

of california

in the house of representatives

Wednesday, September 25, 1996

Mr. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, with all the attention
recently about increased drug abuse, particularly among young people, I
am happy to take this opportunity to report on a successful effort
being undertaken by the Fighting Back Partnership in Vallejo, CA, which
is in my congressional district.
The Fighting Back Partnership grew from the disgust of Vallejo
community leaders about the effects of drug and alcohol abuse on their
city. Representatives of the police, neighborhood groups, city hall,
the school district, and the Greater Vallejo Recreational District
joined forces in a multicultural coalition to fight back in a
comprehensive communitywide substance abuse reduction strategy. This
strategy involves a comprehensive program through public education,
prevention, intervention, treatment, and aftercare.
The following article describes the tremendous difference the
Fighting Back Partnership has made after 5 years. This community has
very much to be proud of, and its efforts should provide a model for
other cities hurt by the tragedy of substance abuse.

[From the Vallejo Times Herald, Sept. 15, 1996]

Making a Difference--Statistics Indicate Fighting Back Is Winning the
War on Drugs in Vallejo

(By David Jackson)

Fighting Back Partnership has produced a report that
appears to offer some hard evidence that its five-year,
multi-million dollar experiment aimed at reducing substance
abuse in Vallejo is working.
Citing student surveys on substance abuse, crime statistics
and other data, the report suggests that Vallejo is making
modest gains in combating the use of illegal drugs, alcohol
and tobacco.
Among the more encouraging findings is a survey suggesting
that teen-age marijuana use may not be growing in Vallejo at
the rapid pace seen elsewhere.
Between 1991 and 1994, the percentage of Vallejo juniors
who said they had used marijuana within the last 12 months
rose from 35 to 36. In Solano County as a whole, the
percentage rose from 31 to 50.
The same survey also suggests that fewer Vallejo students
are using tobacco and alcohol, despite steady or increased
usage by students throughout Solano County.
``There appears to be something going on in Vallejo that is
not reflected in the trends of the rest of the county,'' said
Jane Callahan, project manager for Fighting Back. ``Our kids
are reporting less drug, alcohol and tobacco use than their
peers in the rest of the county.''
The survey information was taken from The American Drug and
Alcohol Survey, which is not affiliated with Fighting Back.
Among the survey's other findings:
The percentage of Vallejo seventh-graders who reported
smoking cigarettes dropped from 48 percent in 1991 to 28
percent in 1994. Throughout the county, however, the
percentage rose from 39 to 41.
During the same period, smoking rose 1 percent among
Vallejo ninth-graders and dropped 14 percent among Vallejo
11th-graders.
The percentage of Vallejo students who reported using
alcohol within the last 30 days dropped 11 percent among
seventh-graders, rose 6 percent among ninth-graders and
dropped 5 percent among 11th-graders between 1991 and 1994.
For the county as a whole, the percentages rose for each
grade level.
the percentage of 11th-grade students who reported using
marijuana in the last 30 days dropped 3 percent in Vallejo
between 1991 and 1994, but rose 12 percent across the county.

[[Page E1705]]

Essie Henderson, substance abuse administrator for Solano
County, agreed with Callahan's assessment that the Fighting
Back program is working.
``Early prevention has been the key,'' Henderson said.
The Fighting Back program includes several programs
designed to keep students from trying alcohol, tobacco or
illegal drugs or to help them stop.
The report also includes crime statistics from the Vallejo
Police Department which indicate that Fighting Back's
training program for liquor store owners, managers and
employees has worked as intended.
Among stores that participated in the training program,
incidents reported to the police dropped 6.5 percent between
fiscal year 1993-94 and fiscal year 1995-96. Among stores
that didn't receive training, the number of incidents rose 27
percent.
The difference in the number of hours police spent
responding to problems at the two groups of liquor stores was
even more profound; down 20 percent for stores that had the
training and up 26 percent for those that didn't.
More than half of the liquor store personnel in the city
have participated in Fighting Back's program.
Since the late 1980s, when planning efforts for the
Fighting Back program began, it has received wide community
support. However, the majority of the funding has come from
the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation in the form of a five-
year, $3 million grant.
Cash and in-kind contributions from a variety of other
sources, including free office space from the city of
Vallejo, have bumped Fighting Back's annual budget up to
about $1 million per year.
The foundation, which is sponsoring 14 Fighting Back
programs across the nation, has hired an independent research
organization to conduct detailed studies to determine how
effective the programs were.
The results of that study won't be fully available until
1999.
Unfortuately, Vallejo's Fighting Back program can't wait
that long. Its Robert Woods Johnson grant will expire March
1.
If the organization hopes to continue to exist, it must
find some new revenue sources.

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